CHAPTER IV 



CLEANING AND VARNISHING 



IF the butt-cap and reel-seat of your rod 

 are tarnished, rub them with tripoli on a 

 cloth moistened with crude oil, then polish 

 all of the ferrules in the same manner until 

 they are free from the season's stains. Hold 

 the joint under your left arm, with the ferrule 

 resting on the edge of a table, and polish with a 

 narrow strip of cloth in the same way that a 

 bootblack " shines " your boots. This will leave 

 the metal a dead white that will not glisten 

 in the sun. If there is any varnish on the fer- 

 rules, it may be removed with crude oil, but in 

 rubbing be careful not to damage the wind- 

 ings. 



Holding the rod as described above, go over 

 it from end to end with just a trace of crude 

 oil on a cloth. Rubbing lengthwise will tend to 

 work the oil into the windings and darken them, 

 whereas all that is needed is to clean and polish 

 the varnish. Some anglers prefer sweet oil 

 for this purpose, but lubricating oils are too 

 penetrating. 



34 



